


Moments In Time

by BuckyAndDanno



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: 10x22 Fix it, Episode: s10e22 Aloha (Goodbye), Future Fic, M/M, Steve Shouldn't Have Left, temporary major character death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:47:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26070640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BuckyAndDanno/pseuds/BuckyAndDanno
Summary: 10x22. Steve came back in the end, at the end, and realised what a terrible mistake he’d made, all those years ago. The question is, does he get a chance to make things right, or were he and Danno never meant to be?
Relationships: Marty Deeks/Danny "Danno" Williams, Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams
Comments: 8
Kudos: 37





	Moments In Time

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve been binging 5-0 and saw the NCIS crossover eps for the very first time. Did anyone else notice the eyes Deeks and Danno were clearly making at each other? No, just me? Okay… Well, I’m calling this a little bit of catharsis then. Unlike What Happens In Vegas however, this is definitely going to be McDanno endgame.

Steve McGarrett had never imagined what old age would be like. If he was honest, he’d thought he would die in battle, either with Five-0, or in the Navy. Even when he’d left Hawaii, a part of him had been completely certain he’d be pulled back in one day, somehow, somewhere, and that would be that.

He’d never imagined going grey, his skin crimping and wrinkling, soft yet still calloused from hard won victories.

He’d never imagined dying from a broken heart.

It was 32 years since he’d left Hawaii. 32 years since Daiyu Mei had almost killed his partner, Detective Danny Williams, because of Steve’s family and their mistakes.

He’d always planned to go back, and yet every day had taken him a step further away from the people he’d once called family; from the man he loved.

Each day had made it that much harder to admit to his mistakes, until the time came when even Catherine had left, and Steve knew he had nothing to go back to.

He’d wandered for a while, making himself security for hire, or doing odd missions for the Navy. Eventually he’d settled down in southern California, close enough to Hawaii for it to feel like home, but far enough away to always remind him of his mistakes.

Far enough away to remind him of what he’d lost.

He goes back, funnily enough, because of Mary.

Mary Ann McGarrett had adopted a second child shortly after Steve left, named Lucie. In two days, Lucie was getting married. Mary had practically threatened Steve until he agreed to be there.

Mary and her family had been the only ones Steve had kept in contact with, and there was no way he was missing his niece’s wedding.

Even if it meant going back to Oahu.

Even if it meant seeing his old team again.

Despite Steve’s choices, Mary had kept in touch with the Five-0 team. She’d refused to tell Steve anything though; had plainly said that if he wanted to know how they were, he would have to ask them himself.

The only thing Steve knew for certain, was that they were alive. Mary wouldn’t have kept that from him, regardless of how much of an asshole she thought her brother was.

So Steve finds himself making his way through Honolulu International Airport for the first time in 32 years. He grips the handle of his cane – a gift from one too many gunshot wounds – tightly as he makes his way into arrivals, scanning the crowds for Joanie.

His niece is a sight for sore eyes, and Steve can’t help but cry as she hugs him tight. She takes him back to Mary’s house, and Steve pretty much stays there until the wedding. It’s not that he’s avoiding his old team, of course, he just has a lot to catch up on with his family.

Take Bex for example. Steve hasn’t seen his great niece since she was 13, and now the girl is 20. In all honesty, it only proves to Steve how much he’s missed in his journey to find a peace that may well have never existed, but at least here – curled up on the couch with Bex, Joanie, Lucie and Mary, watching a movie – he can pretend that everything is okay.

Then comes the wedding.

The tux is itchy and uncomfortable, and he hates having to lean so heavily on his cane when the inclement weather makes his muscles ache. Still, he stays close to Joanie throughout the entrance to the church, through the meet and greets with people he barely remembers.

He thinks he sees Chin at one point, but he can’t be certain. They’ve all changed so much. He wonders if they would recognise him at all.

He wonders if they even still care.

He makes it through though, and then they’re seated in the church, waiting for the swell of the organ, for Lucie to appear.

Her husband to be is waiting at the altar, chatting with his groomsmen and ring bearer. He wears a soft smile, confident and assured, eyes shining with love.

Steve wonders what it must be like.

Steve regrets never having had that with Danny.

Steve regrets leaving at all.

He’s never met the man, even in his trips seeing Lucie, so he’s not familiar with any of the groom’s party. Yet one of the groomsmen looks all too familiar – in a flash Steve is reminded of a younger Danny – and the ring bearer does too.

In the hush of small chatter, he leans over to Joanie. “Do you know them?” He points out the two in questions.

Joanie smirks, and Steve knows he’s missing something. “Yep. They’re practically family.” For a moment her eyes cloud over, and then she nods, almost to herself. “No… They are family.”

Steve is left having to prod her for names. Eventually, she sighs. “Why didn’t you keep in touch with your team, Uncle Steve?”

It’s all the answer he needs really, but he still prods her for names.

Her eyes are hard when she looks at him, and he almost flinches. Almost.

“The groomsman is William Grover, junior. He goes by Liam. Gracie’s eldest. The ring bearer is Maleko Williams. Charlie’s eldest.” She huffs. “Which you’d know if you’d bothered to call them once in a while.”

Steve knew it was coming, yet he can’t help but gawp at her like a beached fish. “They’re married?”

“No, Uncle Steve. They waited forever hoping for you to come back.” Joanie’s words are biting, and Steve knows from Mary that she and Lucie are close to the Williams kids. He just hadn’t realised how close. “Yes, they’re married. ALL of them.”

It’s like a kick to the gut, and Steve has to physically stop himself from crying out.

He knows what she’s not saying.

He knew, realistically, that Danny wouldn’t wait for him; that Steve couldn’t have asked that. But there’s a solid difference between knowing and not knowing.

Knowing hurts.

He swallows, and it’s like shards of glass in his throat. “Did… Did he have more kids?”

Joanie shakes her head, eyes softening just slightly. “Not unless you count the dogs, but Dee loves Grace and Charlie, all of them, more than anything.” Her eyes are still boring into his however, as she says. “They’re happy.”

Then the swell of music hits, and Steve can’t say anything more.

The procession is started by the flower boy, and maybe Joanie takes pity on him, or maybe she’s enjoying pointing out what he left behind, what he walked away from, but she whispers softly. “That’s Meka. Liam’s little boy.”

The name of Danny’s former partner on HPD jolts Steve, and he can’t make himself answer; can’t bear to ask when the bridesmaids appear and two of them bear uncanny resemblances to both Grace and Rachel.

He doesn’t want to know any more.

He almost wants to go on pretending that he doesn’t know at all.

By the time he makes it outside the church, he’s almost breathless. His cane wobbles precariously in his hand. He feels like he’s going to pass out.

He doesn’t though. Maybe it’s his training reminding him that SEALs don’t give up, but he manages to regulate his breathing and force a smile onto his face, even as Bex drags him over to meet the bridesmaids, especially her ‘best friend in the world and beloved cousin’.

He wonders if the world hates him.

Nattie Grover is the spitting image of Grace, and Steve’s heart hurts, even as he forces himself to smile and exchange pleasantries. “Mom used to talk about you.”

It’s another punch in Steve’s gut, but he nods. “I miss her every day.”

Nattie nods like she knows more, knows exactly what Grace thinks of him now, but it too polite to say. “And this is Alana, my little cousin.”

The younger girl stood beside her, in a matching dress, waves shyly. Steve can see Charlie in her, and it breaks his heart to realise how much of their lives he’s missed, when he’d once promised to always be there for him.

Steve is just about done then, and his mouth is open, poised to make some excuse to get away, when an all too familiar voice calls out; “Nattie!”

It’s older, gruffer, but there’s no mistaking the Jersey accent of one Danny Williams.

Danny’s surprisingly still spry, and races over to pull Nattie into a bone crushing hug. “I’ve missed you sweetie.”

“Missed you too Gramps.” Nattie grins, hugging him back just as tight.

Meka is snuggled in his great-grandpa’s arms, tired out from the ceremony, but he pulls on Nattie’s dress with a toothy grin. “Natnat!”

“Hey bubby!” Nattie reaches out to take him, cuddling him close. Then she’s smiling at Danny. “I was just talking to an old friend of yours.”

Steve curses silently, and then Danny’s eyes are on him, small frown turning quickly into a smile. “Steve?”

It’s not quite the welcome he’d expected, if he was honest. He’d been expecting a sock in the jaw. Perhaps old age had mellowed Danny’s anger and sarcasm like it had tamed Steve’s hope.

“Hey Danno.”

“Where the hell have you been?” There’s the smallest amount of hurt in Danny’s voice, but he mostly sounds happy to see him, and Steve is thankful for that.

“Nowhere.” Steve answers truthfully. “But it’s good to be home.” And he means it. For all that he’d been dreading coming back, it was only when he stepped foot on the island that everything seemed right again.

He only wishes it hadn’t taken so long for him to realise it.

He only wishes everything hadn’t changed.

“It’s good to see you, neanderthal.” Danny grins, and Steve thinks that maybe, just maybe, this can be enough. Maybe he’s missed so many moments, but maybe there can be many more too.

Maybe not everything has been lost.

Then broad arms encircle Danny’s waist, a soft kiss pressed to his neck, and Steve stumbles back a little at the sight. He remembers Joanie’s words, and curses himself for thinking anything could be salvaged at all.

Danny’s eyes are bright and sparkling as he turns and kisses the man softly. “I was wondering where you’d gone off to.”

The man grins, and there’s something familiar about him that Steve can’t quite place. “Mal needed help setting up his surprise for Luce.”

“Ahh.” Danny grins back, knowingly. “Of course he’d go to his genius gramps for help.”

“He knows he can always count on me.”

“We all do.” Danny says, and the words hurt Steve for what they don’t say than what they do.

It’s not that Steve begrudges someone else being there for Danny.

It’s that Steve wishes he’d never abandoned them to begin with.

The man turns to Steve then, introduces himself as Marty Deeks-Williams, but the words are swimming in front of him, waves rushing in his ears. His heart is pounding in his chest. He can’t breathe.

There’s a moment where Danny’s eyes lock onto his, panicked and frightened and filled with concern Steve knows he doesn’t deserve.

Then everything goes black.

Steve McGarrett had never imagined old age, but he certainly hadn’t thought he’d die from a broken heart.


End file.
